Inventory / Purchasing Manager
Salary

Purchasing Managers in the United States pull down an average of $51K per year. With some bonuses approaching $9K and certain profit sharing proceeds approaching $10K, overall incomes of Purchasing Managers spread between $31K and $80K depending on individual performance. Residence and career length each impact pay for this group, with the former having the largest influence. Men make up a slight majority of Purchasing Managers (55 percent) who responded to the survey. A fair number report receiving medical coverage from their employers and the greater part collect dental insurance. Job satisfaction for Purchasing Managers is high. Figures cited in this summary are based on replies to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Find Out Exactly What You Should Be Paid

Job Description for Inventory / Purchasing Manager

An inventory or purchasing manager is a supervisor that is responsible for managing the inventory for their organization. They are responsible for buying supplies, materials, and parts for the job they are tasked to complete. The purchasing they oversee may be routine, it may change frequently, or it may involve a mix of both. Depending on the employer, the inventory or purchasing manager may work with a team (in which they ensure that the inventory and purchasing needs of the company are met) or they may perform this work independently.

An inventory manager also handles the management of supplies, products, goods, materials, and parts for their company. They may work on in-house inventory monitoring and management or on a good-sold or -rented basis. They may also do a combination of both. Frequently, an inventory manager has one or more inventory clerks working for them.

Typically an inventory manager or a purchasing manager has a bachelor's degree in a field such as business, mathematics, or inventory management. Prior working experience may be substituted depending on the employer, in conjunction with an associate's degree or high school diploma (or equivalent). A purchasing manager must build good relationships with the vendors with whom they work. Additionally, they often work with a variety of internal departments, such as accounting, shipping and receiving, and credit. The purchasing manager must also have good negotiating and communication skills; organizational skills are also fundamental for an inventory/purchasing manager.

Common Career Paths for Inventory / Purchasing Manager

Plan your career path. Drag job titles to investigate a particular path and click on a link to see where particular career can lead.

For Purchasing Managers, progressing to a Director of Supply Chain Management role may result in a significant raise. On average, a Director of Supply Chain Management can earn $120K annually. Going from Purchasing Manager to Operations Manager is the transition that occurs most often in this field, where the paychecks are $59K. Many others choose to work as Inventory Control Managers, where pay is typically $45K.

Purchasing Manager Job Listings

Search for more jobs:

Job Title/Company

Location

Popular Skills for Inventory / Purchasing Manager

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Overall, survey participants reported applying a fair number of skills to their work. Most notably, facility with Project Management and Negotiation are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 35 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include Purchasing, Order Inventory, and Inventory Control. Those familiar with Inventory Control also tend to know Microsoft Excel and Materials Requirement Planning (MRP).

Pay by Experience Level for Inventory / Purchasing Manager

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Purchasing Managers, experience does not seem to be a major factor in determining pay. Although individuals who have less than five years' experience earn $41K on average, people with five to 10 years benefit from a notably larger average of $49K. Purchasing Managers claiming one to two decades of experience make an estimated median of $53K. Ultimately, more time spent in the workforce does seem to translate to bigger paychecks; seasoned veterans with more than 20 years of experience report a median income of $60K.

Inventory / Purchasing Manager Reviews

What is it like working as an Inventory / Purchasing Manager?

Inventory / Purchasing Manager in Reno:

"Great."

Pros: I love the challenge. The ability to use my brain and purchase inventory to keep the business going. I feel important in my position.